Tufting device



June 10,1947. s. PARKER TUFTING DEVICE Filed July 9, 1946 INVENTOR.

SAMUEL F. 9 R

Ex 21ml m5 ATTORNEYS PAR Patente d June 10, 1947 v TUFTI'NG DEVICE Samuel P. Parilsen. La Granger. G2,},- assignonto Calla'way Mills, La Grange, Ga, a corporation 01:? Georgia.

Applipafi'bn July" 9, 1946, SBIia-FNO; 68223377 61Claims. 1*.

This invention relates-to: devices for the i nsertiers of: tufts on: fabrics fordecorative and other purposes: andiis concerned more'particular'lywith a. novel manually controlled tufting instrument of the; type that is sometimes referred teas an embroidery'pen'cil and includes a power driven reciprocating. needle for inserting the tuft yarn. The new pencil affords advantages over prior similar implements in thatit includes means for insuring. an even: teed of the yarn through'the needle", so that the inserted loops: are uniform in. length and defects in the finished product in the form of irregularities inthe tufted areas are thereby avoided.

lnem'broi dery' pencils, in which a hollow needle having its free end out 01f at an angle is employed and the tuft yarn is fed lengthwise through the needle, the yarn must feed freely through the needle and become slack and released from the end of the needle, when. the latter is. retracted, if even loops are to be produced. It has been found; however, that in such embroidery pencils as now made, the. twist. in the yarn sometimes causes the yarn to kink and hug the edge of the end opening of the needle, so that when the needle starts its movement out of the fabric, the yarn that has passed through the fabric moves back with the needle. Whenever this happens, the length of the inserted loop is shortened and, since the return movement of the yarn with the needle is not the result of positive action, the loops inserted in a fabric by such a pencil may vary considerably in length.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a novel embroidery pencil, in which means are provided for insuring that the yarn will feed freely through the needle and the difficulties arising from the yarn kinking and returning with the needle as the latter is retracted, are avoided. In the new pencil, the needle used is hollow and it is cut off at an angle at its free end to provide a point. The yarn is supplied to the needle to the rear of the pointed end and passes lengthwise through the needle. To insure that the yarn will feed freely and not hug the free end of the needle, air under pressure is supplied to the interior of the needle and the air travels lengthwise through the needle and escapes at the free end of the latter. As the needle is returned after completing its insertion stroke, the air escaping from the needle frees the yarn from the end of the needle and prevents the yarn from being drawn back with the needle and the inserted loop thereby shortened.

For a, better understanding of the invention,

referenceimay be: hadztot the: acconmamyingtdraw ing;v which the single figure, is a: Vi'EW"iI1'. Ten:- gitudinal section of: one form. of the:- new enrbroidery pencil,

The pencil" iliustratedl in. the: drawing: comprises a hollow casing lg. which; is, closedat. one? endi-by an elongated. tip 2"havingtercentrzrl'pazssagefthere through. At its;- other: end. the casingrterminatcs in a threaded neck E, onzwhich: is mounted: ashorlow cap: 4*. A. bearing 5 mounted! the neck 3 and a needle. 6."- extends through: the bearing and through theeentrah here: ot the tip-=2. The needle.- bar: is: driven in any suitable: way; as, for example, by threaded. attachment to? one: end of a: flexible shaiit. E, which extends; through an opening; in. the: end at cap 4: and isldiiizen by suitable: means; The-shaft is: enclosed Within the! flexible casing- 8 which may extend? into; and be mounted in a bushing 9 within the opening? in the. cap; through which shaft enters; the: cap;

The needle: bars has a lengthwise passage. IE0 and ahollow needle: lal; is mounted: at the end; of: the bar opposite tosthat attachedztd shafi; 1a. Iihe free: end. ofthe: needle is cult 0th at an angle, as indicated at l2, and the interior of the needle is in communication with the passage I0 through the bar. The yarn [3 may be supplied to the needle in any convenient manner and, in the pencil illustrated, the yarn passes through an opening l4 through the cap, through the interior of the cap, and through an opening IS in the wall of the needle bar into the passage H). The yarn passes through passage l0 and through the interior of the needle to project at the pointed end of the needle.

The Wall of the casing I is provided with a passage 6, to which leads a tube I! mounted on the outside of cap 4. The tube l1 projects above the end of the cap and may be connected by a hose l8 to a source of air under pressure. The air supplied through the hose and tube enters the interior of the casing and thence enters the passage Ifl through the needle bar through an opening I9 in that part of the needle bar lying Within the casing. The air travels lengthwise through the passage and part of the air escapes through the open end of the needle.

In the operation of the new pencil, the free end of tip 2 is placed upon the fabric with the needle retracted and lying above the point where the tuft loop is to be inserted and, when the needle bar moves down, the needle is forced through the fabric and carries the yarn 13 with it, Air is being supplied to the interior of the needle bar and escaping through the pointed end of the needleand, when the needle begins to move back,

any tendency of the inserted yarn to hug the beveled edge at the pointed end of the needle, as.

the result of kinking of the yarn, and to move back with the needle is prevented by the escaping air, Each inserted loop of yarn, accordingly, has a length determined by the extent to which the needle penetrates the'fabric, and there is no variation in the-length of the loops resulting from the return of the inserted yarn with the needle, when A reciprocation of the bar, a passage through the wall of the casing for supplyin yarn to-the needle to pass therethrough and out the free end of the needle, and means for supplying air under pressure to the? interior of the needle to pass therethrough and escape at the free end of the needle.

V 2. An embroidery pencil which comprises a casingja needle barmounted within the casing for reciprocation lengthwise thereof, the needle bar having a lengthwise passage therethrough, a hollow needle attached to the bar with its interior in communication with said passage, the needle having a free end projectable out of one end of the casing upon reciprocation of the bar, a passage through the wall of the casing through which yarn may be supplied to the needle to pass therethrough and out the free end thereof, and means for introducing air under pressure into the passage through the bar tovpass therethrough and through the needle to escape at the free end of the latter.

3.An embroidery pencil which comprises a casing, a hollow needle bar mountedwithin the casing for reoiprocationlengthwise thereof, the needle bar having an opening through its wall to the interior thereof, a hollow needle attached 4 V to the needle bar and having a free end projectable out of one end of the casing upon reciprocation of the bar, the interior of the needle being in communication with the interior of the bar, and means for supplying air under pressure to the interior of the casing, the air passing through the bar and needle and escaping out the free end of the needle; I I I V 4. In an embroidery pencil, the combination of a hollow needle having a pointed end, means for reciprocating the needle endwise, and means for supplying air under pressure to the interior thereof.

5. In an embroidery pencil, the combination of a. hollow reciprocable needle bar, a hollow needle mounted on the bar with its interior in communication with the interior of the bar, the needle having a free pointed end, and means for supplying air under pressure to the interior of the barto pass therethrough and through the needle to escape at the free end of theneedle.

6. In an embroidery pencil, the combination-of a reciprocable needle mounted on the bar'and having a free pointed end, the'bar having a lengthwise passage through which yarn may be conducted to pass through the needle and out the free end thereof, the bar having an opening through its wall into the passage between the ends of the passage, and means for supplying air under pressure through the opening into the passage, the air flowing through the passage and needle to escape at the free end of the needle.

SAMUEL P. PARKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: I

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 1,919,674 Wenczel July 25, 1933 bar, a hollow needle. 

